It has been clear since last Sunday that FC Bayern will not become champions for the twelfth time in a row this year. Despite losing the championship, however, the German record champions retain a privilege for the next Champions League season. This is due to the new format of the premier league, which will be launched next season.
As Sky reports, FC Bayern will still be part of the first lottery pot next year, although according to the current regulations they would have to be assigned to the second lottery pot due to their loss of the league title. This is due to the reorganisation of the Champions League, which will come into force from next season. From 2024/25, every winner of the national leagues will no longer automatically end up in the first draw pot. Instead, the places will be determined by the clubs‘ coefficient ranking.
The German record champions, who are in second place in this ranking despite a weak season so far, have therefore already secured a place in the first draw pot. This means that Munich can avoid having to play two teams from pot 1 in the league phase.
Easier draw due to CL privilege?
From the 2024/25 season, the clubs in the Champions League will no longer be divided into eight groups consisting of four teams. Instead, all qualified teams will take part in a league competition consisting of 36 teams. Each club then has to play eight matches, four at home and four away. The respective opponents are determined by drawing from four different draw pots. Each team then faces two teams from each pot, with the exception of its own.
This means that Munich could potentially avoid a more difficult draw in the league phase thanks to their position in the club coefficient ranking. This would mean that they would only have to play one team from the first pot in the league phase.
